1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an upper cap for electrical accumulators, the accumulators being either used in stationary or movable stations like houses, automobiles, ships, planes and general vehicles. The invention particularly relates to a closing cap for accumulators, the cap allowing a person to take and carry the accumulator easily. The accumulators being of the type requiring maintenance or not, in the case of maintenance the cap including ports for replenishing electrolyte and, in the case of no maintenace required the cap totally seals the accumulator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The conventional batteries or electrical accumulators comprise a container box housing metal plates and an electrolyte. This box has an upper opening sealed by a closing cap. The cap includes electrical terminal pins, positive and negative pins, through which the electrical power is taken. There are batteries that require maintenance in which case the electrolyte must be periodically replenished, therefore the cap must include access ports for replenishing purposes. These ports are generally closed by sealing plugs, threaded in necks of the ports so that the plugs may be removed and then, after replenishing, inserted again in the ports.
There is another type of accumulators which do not require maintenance, therefore the accumulator box is totally closed by the upper cap in a tightly manner. In this case the upper cap has not access ports.
With any one of the above accumulator types it is frequently neccesary to remove the accumulator from the place wherein it is installed, either for maintenance, service or cleaning purposes or merely for replacing an old accumulator by a new one. In any of these situations the accumulator must be firmly taken and safely carried, however the heavy weight of the accumulator and the dangerous electrolyte it contains make the handling and carrying of the acccumulator very perilous. Because the conventional accumulators do not have effective handling means both hands are generally neccesary to take, lift and carry them.
The above drawbacks become of a very importance when the accumulator is for automobiles, in this case the accumulator is installed in a small, generally unaccessible space, full of mechanical parts, wires and cables, grease, etc. These causes the reaching, taking and lifting of the accumulator with both hands to be cumbersome.
Due to the above explained disadvantages the automobile manufacturers are requiring to the accumulator manufacturers that the accumulators be provided with adequate handling means to facilitate the handling and safe carrying of these products either in benefit of the users as well as of the car assembling line operators.